Amex Platinum Card Review 6 Years Later (My Journey!)

I got the Amex Platinum Card about 6 years ago and have had at least 1 version open ever since. Here’s my full journey with the card, why I got it, and why the Amex Centurion Lounge was a big factor! Click “Show More” to see Ad Disclosure. 💳👉VIEW CREDIT CARD OFFERS! http://markscreditcards.com/offers 🏦 SOFI CHECKING & SAVINGS – Get $25 FREE (or more w/ direct deposit) http://markscreditcards.com/sofibanking 🛍 RAKUTEN - Earn Cash Back! http://markscreditcards.com/rakuten 📲 MAXREWARDS – Manage credit cards & rewards! Get Gold level for free with PROMO CODE = markr http://markscreditcards.com/maxrewards 📈 GET FREE STOCKS FROM WEBULL when you open an account & make a deposit: http://markscreditcards.com/webull PART 1: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN | AMEX PREMIER REWARDS GOLD CARD (Precursor to the Amex Gold Card) Date: Feb. 2016 Annual Fee: $0 in Year 1, then $195 Welcome Offer: Earn 25,000 Amex Membership Rewards points after spending $2K in the first 3 months. Rewards: - 3X Airlines - 2X U.S. Restaurants - 2X U.S. Gas Stations - 2X U.S Supermarkets - 1X Other Purchases Main Benefits: - $100 Airline Fee Credit - The Hotel Collection - Insurance coverages - No Foreign Transaction Fees More Context: At this time, you could buy Centurion Lounge day passes for $50 each with any American Express credit card (even the ones with no annual fee, cobranded airline credit cards, cobranded hotel credit cards, etc.). I knew the Amex Platinum Card offered unlimited Centurion Lounge access, but I wanted to experience the lounge before committing fully. So, it was the Premier Rewards Gold Card that got me in for the first time on that day pass rate, and I was sold from that point forward! PART 2: MY 1ST AMEX PLATINUM CARD Date: May 2016 Annual Fee: $450 Welcome Offer: Earn 40,000 Amex Membership Rewards points after spending $3K in the first 3 months. Rewards: - 1X All Purchases Main Benefits: - $200 Airline Fee Credit - Up to $100 Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit - Global Lounge Collection - Fine Hotels & Resorts - Hotel Elite Status: SPG Gold Elite Status, Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status - Rental Car Elite Status: Avis, Hertz, National - Boingo Wi-Fi Plan More Context: I applied & got approved for the Amex Platinum Card to use the Centurion Lounge frequently (I probably use it 15-20 times that year). PART 3: AMEX PLATINUM CARD REFRESH Date: March 2017 Annual Fee: $550 Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points after spending $5K in the first 3 months Rewards: - 5X Flights (Booked Direct or via Amex Travel Portal) - 5X Prepaid Hotels (Booked via Amex Travel Portal) - 1X Other Purchases Main Benefits: - All previous benefits, plus… - $200 Uber Credit - $100 Saks Credit - Note: SPG Gold Elite Status was converted to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status PART 4: AMEX SCHWAB PLATINUM CARD Date: May 2018 Annual Fee: $550 Welcome Offer: Same as regular 60K Amex Platinum Card offer. Rewards: Same as regular Amex Platinum Card Main Benefits: - Same as regular Amex Platinum Card, plus… - Invest With Rewards: Redeem Amex Membership Rewards points as cash back into an eligible Schwab account (e.g. Schwab brokerage account) at 1.25¢ per point. PART 5: CANCEL AMEX PLATINUM CARD Date: June 2018 I canceled my original Amex Platinum Card (i.e. the one with the $450 annual fee – later refreshed to $550 – that was opened in May 2016. So, I had it for about 2 years). PART 6: MY 2ND (REGULAR) AMEX PLATINUM CARD Date: October 2019 Welcome Offer: Standard 60K offer. I applied for another ‘vanilla’ Platinum Card (i.e. not cobranded) because it was an Amex No Lifetime Language offer. Also, the Boingo Wi-Fi Plan was removed from the Amex Platinum Card as of May 01, 2019. PART 7: 2ND AMEX PLATINUM CARD REFRESH Annual Fee: $695 Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6K in the first 6 months. Rewards: No change. Main Benefits: - All prior benefits, plus… - $300 Equinox Credit - $300 SoulCycle Credit - $240 Digital Entertainment Credit - $200 Hotel Credit - $179 CLEAR Credit - $155 Walmart+ Credit - Note: On the Schwab version, the Invest With Rewards feature decreased to a 1.10¢ cash out rate as of Sep. 01, 2021. PART 8: AMEX PLATINUM X ART DESIGNS - No changes to welcome offer, annual fee, rewards, or benefits. - 2 new art designs became available: Platinum x Julie Mehretu, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley Disclosure: This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Mark Reese is not a financial advisor. #americanexpress #amexplatinum #amexcreditcards